Thomas Carnival

Thomas Carnival

New rides, including one appearing for the first time ever in the continental United States, are a few of the highlights for MontanaFair.

Blacking Out on a ride is entirely possible at this year’s MontanaFair. Black Out is the newest and latest thrill ride coming to MontanaFair from the Mighty Thomas Carnival. Carnival President John Hanschen is looking forward to coming back to Billings for the fair.

“MontanaFair is always one of our favorite places,” said Hanschen. “The people are great and it just brings out the best in all of us to be certain everyone has the best time.”

This year, Hanschen and his team have arranged for the new ride Black Out to make its first continental United States appearance in Montana. On this mega attraction, twelve passengers are secured into gondolas that rotate and flip as the central arm swings eighty feet in the air. Black Out is similar to another long time MontanaFair staple, The Speed. The Speed’s wingspan is 140 feet--the arm rotates at a speed of 13 rpm and passengers in the gondolas at each end experience an intense G-force sensation with one important exception. It also goes side to side as it catapults riders to the highest point on the MontanaFair grounds. The Speed is back at MontanaFair.

You may need to take a moment to locate this popular ride. Speed is moving to an area on the other end of the fairgrounds near the Billings Clinic/Children’s Hospital Colorado Kids’ World.

Making its way to Billings for the 2018 fair is another brand new spectacular ride, the Star Tower, now on a boat from overseas and scheduled to arrive in time for MontanaFair. The Star Tower is a ninety-foot tall chair swing ride, providing thrills and a spectacular view of the Rimrocks--designed for older children and adults.

While everything else seems to be going up, pricing for the carnival rides and games remain at the same levels as 2015. Pay one price wristbands are $30 for any of the riding periods, with special days and periods scattered liberally throughout the run of the fair.

Sneak A Peek night opens MontanaFair Friday night with $22 wristbands and a $5 gate admission. Monday thru Friday afternoon ride wristbands are just $22, a 30% savings on normal pricing. There are other wallet savings specials available at MontanaFair.com. $3 discount coupon available at specific sponsors.

Mighty Thomas Carnival has had a special relationship at MontanaFair for many years. MontanaFair General Manager Bill Dutcher likes this particular carnival.

“The Circle of Excellence is given to less than 5% of the carnivals nationwide by the Outdoor Amusement Business Association,” said Dutcher. “Mighty Thomas Carnival is one of the carnivals in the circle. It makes us proud to bring such a high quality and safe organization to Billings for our guests to enjoy.”

The Billings Clinic/Children’s Hospital Colorado Kids World is one of the big attractions of MontanaFair. Hanschen described what parents will find this year.

“A lot of great classic rides will be back at Kids World this year,” said Hanschen. “The 100 foot fun slide, the Fun House, and Happy Face Bounce are just a few of the rides the kids will enjoy.”

Thomas Carnival facilities include generators and wire, light towers, benches, rest and shade areas, trucks, and trailers, repair shops, laundry and uniform facilities, offices and living quarters in addition to the rides, games and food concessions seen by the public on the midway. One hundred fifty traveling workers are joined by locally hired employees and helpers to set up, operate, and then dismantle the show after MontanaFair August 18.

Dozens of dedicated carnival workers make it possible to move and operate the show at over 50 locations each year. Ride operators work hard to load and operate amusement rides with care. Ticket sellers are trained to have general information about the fair, and they answer hundreds of questions every day. All Thomas Carnival midway workers participate in a pre-season and random drug screening program.

The main carnival office is located on the midway and administrative staff is always available for questions and comments. Credit cards are accepted at our box offices, and ATMs are located on the midway. The carnival maintains a corner general store open to fair customers, stocked with a small variety of personal items they might have forgotten for their long day visiting the fair.

Thomas Carnival Classics:

Tilt-a-Whirl, seven seats of undulating movement, was invented by the Minnesota Sellner family in 1927. The Tilt remains one of the most popular rides in America.

The Merry-Go-Round (check out the artwork on the carousel horses), is an Allen Herschell model with a total of 30 horses. There are 3 galloping poses to choose from, and 6 different color schemes. Children love to select their favorite horse.

Crystal Lil's House of Mirrors: two levels included: the lower mirror maze, and the upper level filled with crazy mirrors and a circular slide that takes you back to ground level.

Dizzy Dragons from Sellner are green dragon riding capsules with smiling faces. This style is from the famous Sellner Spin Ride Limited collection.

MontanaFair has the Billings Clinic/Children’s Hospital Colorado Kids World with the Barnyard, the Speedway, and the Rio Grande Train, where the operator often wears an old-school engineer's cap and rings a bell as the train departs the station. The whole family can enjoy the Up Up and Away, the U-Toob, the Wiggle Wurm, and the Airport - the seats accommodate both children and adults.

The exciting Cliffhanger amusement ride with spectacular lighting is the only ride that flies customers through the air like Superman, and the Tornado has been upgraded with a new light package that can be seen for miles. Its open-air tubs spin under the control of the passengers.

Other featured attractions on the Thomas Carnival

Monster Trucks: Wisdom Rides of Colorado built this popular children's ride featuring realistic monster trucks with a pop-a-wheelie motion. Each car has sound effects and each rider has a steering wheel. Adults may accompany youngsters.

Martian Maze: Adorable Martians are pictured on the scenery of the Martian Maze. Young children climb ladders, cross bridges, slide down slides, and walk through a rotating barrel.

Frog Hopper: Another popular youth ride, this one with a hopping motion, was made by Utah's S & S Sports. Adults may ride with the youngsters on the Frog Hopper, as well.

More returning favorites include 100-foot Fun Slide, and the Zamperla Mini Jet with 8 bold ships shaped like barrels melded into fantastic flying airplanes. The ride's air compressor sends the ships hissing into the air for the imaginary trip over the fairgrounds. The crafts glide smoothly back down the ground after a 90 second flight. Fun Zone Fun House walk-through starts with fresh and friendly fun cartoon figures painted on the front's façade. Inside, look for easy obstacles, visual tricks, spinning disks, and an exciting Barrel O Fun at the exit. Happy Face Bounce: Children under 42 inches enjoy jumping in the Thomas Carnival bounces. Our air-supported jumpers feature The Wacky Maze and Happy Faces. Gopher Golf: a round of challenging miniature golf is included with each day's wristband. Look for the tall red, orange, and blue canvas on top of the carnival caddy shack. Keep score and ask about daily tournaments. Also included with an armband purchase: one free attempt to Fool the Guesser for a small prize (your choice of age, weight, or birth month.) If the guesser misses by more than 2 years, 3 pounds, or 1 month, you win!

The Scrambler is a carnival classic produced by the Eli Bridge Company out

of Illinois. The seats interlace with each other as they spin, but they never touch, much like a giant egg beater. The Starship 4000 is Wisdom Manufacturing’s latest update of the archetypal space ship simulation. The feeling of weightlessness never gets old as the ship races around at over 20 revolutions per minute. This ride features groundbreaking technological advances in its mechanical operation as well as dazzling new lighting and scenery packages.

Look for new colors and attractive new lighting on the Zipper. Chance Rides manufactures this quintessential thrill ride—cages spinning about 2 axes—thrilling and memorable. The trendy "Wacky Cowboy" coaster returns to Billings this year. The coaster features bright colors, a flashing LED light package, and a lead cowboy mouse with sheriff's badge who guides riders through exciting dips and curves. The Wacky Cowboy Roller Coaster is manufactured by Fajume in San Salvador, El Salvador. Family groups enjoy this coaster, together. The focal point of the Thomas Carnival midway is the towering Century Wheel, a 70 foot Ferris wheel with gondola-style seating—providing in-the-cloud enjoyment for guests ranging from family units to brand new friends attending their first fair together. The Century Wheel is Thomas Carnival's most popular ride. The Chance Rides Thunderbolt boasts alternating red and blue cars circling a center point that pivots outward-- by centrifugal force. Passengers end up sideways as the toboggans swing to navigate the hilly track! And the mighty Pharaoh’s Fury appears to be an ocean vessel with an artistic Egyptian Pharaoh’s head sculpture at each end. Swinging in an arc 54 feet high, the Pharaoh’s Fury takes passengers from horizontal to vertical. You’ll witness scores of passengers thrill to the momentary weightless effect as the boat rises high, reverses motion, then plunges. One cool ride.

Adventurous riders also enjoy the exciting wave action of Moby Dick, built in Colorado by Wisdom rides. Bystanders laugh as the Moby riders’ feet swing in synchrony to the movement of this riding machine adorned with a painted mural of a giant whale swimming the high seas.

Our “ground-mounted” Bumper Cars sets right at eye level, each structural piece unloaded from a two-trailer combination. One more great ride to watch from the sidelines. Youngsters meeting the height requirement often get their first driving experience in the Thomas Carnival Dodgem Cars.

Carnival Games

Popular carnival games include water races, the duck pond, balloon pop, basketball, break-a-bottle, big ring-o-bottle, grab bag, fish 'til you win game, bulldozer-token push, and the rope ladder. Everyone enjoys the colorful prizes: teddy bears, dogs, frogs, computer portraits, buttons, t-shirts, wall-hangings and a fantastic array of neat trinkets and novelties. Stuffed Dragons and Unicorns, Smurfs, Emoji’s, Owls are the hot items this year, along with team Basketballs— only at the pro hoops long range basketball game. And something new: Foot Darts—soccer balls kicked towards 30-foot-tall Velcro- covered target board—aim to score big to win a prize.

Enjoy tasty traditional fair food items on the midway, including corn dogs, foot long hot dogs, cheese steaks, caramel and candy apples, nachos, pickles, funnel cakes, pizza, hamburgers, popcorn, cotton candy, sno-cones, and soft drinks. The Midway Pastries has a new-age automated lemon squeezer device made of clear plastic--you can watch the fresh juice being produced and delivered to your own cup. The other stands have catchy names and logos, including the Sugar Barn, the Sweet Spot, and the Midway Grill.

The Mighty Thomas Carnival traveling show is presenting thrilling rides, fun games, and succulent carnival treats at the MontanaFair for the 39th straight year. Founded in 1928 in Lennox, South Dakota, by Art B. Thomas, the show now winters near Austin, Texas, and is providing its 91st season of summer fun and excitement for fair-goers at 51 events in 12 states.